


Circus Folk Don't Swindle, They Only Hustle

by GeekTriangle



Category: Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Carnival, Circus, Circus Performer Clint Barton, Deaf Clint Barton, F/M, Fair, First Meetings, Flirting Boys, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, POV Bucky Barnes, Pre-Relationship, Winterhawk Bingo: Free space, even though it really isn't mentioned he is still deaf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 23:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20938505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeekTriangle/pseuds/GeekTriangle
Summary: Bucky doesn't like the carnival.He does like watching the blonde guy manning the ball toss booth juggle though.He could watch that all day.ORBucky & co go to the carnival. A certain blonde catches his attention and doesn't give it back either.





	Circus Folk Don't Swindle, They Only Hustle

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all!
> 
> Last week the fair was in town and of course the only thing I was thinking about was our blonde disaster. Wanted to write a lil something to celebrate the fun I had with my friends. I hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> <3

The carnival had been a lot more fun when he had been younger. Then the colour, noise, the food had seemed new and strange. Some magic wonderland that appeared for a week and then left without a trace. Someplace with enough shadowy corners to taste the sugary lips of laughing ladies after he had won them a plushie.

Nowadays the carnival made him late for work because the busses didn’t run, the noise was obnoxious, the crowds even more so and even looking at the food made him crave an apple. One that wasn't covered in caramel or chocolate, that is.

But Steve still liked the carnival even if he grew twice his size, managed to lose his allergies and put on even more muscle than Bucky had, the little boy from Brooklyn didn't change at all.

And besides, Stevie had a new flashy boyfriend that seemed to thrive on obnoxious things. And showing off, obnoxious things and showing off. Tony Stark might be a billionaire, even he still couldn't resist the carnal need that seemed to attract the whole city to the carnival.

However, it hadn't been Steve or even Stark that had brought up going to the carnival. It even hadn't been Sam, who surely would’ve brought it up if he knew how much Bucky despised the carnival and how much Stevie had come to love it now that he could actually look over the booth counters.

No, it hadn't been any of them. It had been Natasha. Natasha, the only person more cold-blooded than him, the person already scoffed at the idea of going to a cinema instead of an opera, the person that could make a whole room of professional dancers quiver by just looking at them. That person wanted to go to the carnival?

‘Sure.’ She had shrugged. ‘It’ll be fun. And besides, I want to meet up with an old friend.”

If going at the carnival was bad, working there must be actual hell. At least, that was what he thought. The guy manning the ball toss booth didn’t share to share that sentiment though. He seemingly was having the time of his life, juggling the bean bag balls like it were just three instead of nine balls he was holding up, winking at the little kids who stopped and stared, and cheering for every one of them when they managed to hit one of the cans. Giving out prizes to every kid (and adult) that even tried, no matter if none of the cans had actually been hit.

Bucky was leaning against one of the claw machines, only half-listening to Stark’s complaining that the game was rigged and threatening to dismantle the whole but putting in another coin anyway, even as Steve told him not to do so, but even Steve couldn’t keep the fond amusement out of his voice. Natasha had disappeared somewhere off to god knew where and Sam wasn’t around either.

So that left Bucky with nothing to do but to stare at the broad-shouldered blonde who was trying to cajole the whole carnival to his booth. While he was sure to keep the scowl on his face, he actually wasn't really complaining. There were worse things to look at, like at Stark still pretending to be frustrated at the claw machine and Steve falling for it hook, line, and sinker.

He didn’t even notice when Steve and Tony left. 

Bucky was startled out of his thought when one of the bean bags landed right in front of his left foot.

‘Hey! Tall, dark and handsome! Yeah, you! You seem to have something of mine, wanna bring it back?’

Bucky looked up, and indeed the blonde had stopped juggling and was now leaning dangerously far over the counter, looking intently at Bucky with a lopsided grin plastered on his face. At the moment there were no other people at his booth, most of the crowd distracted by some announcer that had taken a stand a little further down the road. Bucky stayed leaning against his claw machine but raised an eyebrow.

‘That’s an awful far way for a bean bag to fall when you've just dropped it.’

The guy didn't seem bothered being called out. He just shrugged and smiled.

‘Well, I never claimed to perfect. Must've gotten distracted by the pretty boy staring at me.’

Bucky rolled his eyes but then ducked down quickly to grab the ball from the ground. That way maybe the guy wouldn't notice the colour on his cheeks.

He walked up to the booth and put the ball down with his left hand with maybe a little with more force than he meant too. He couldn’t completely hide his wince. The prosthetic Stark had hooked him up with was the best there was, and would be for quite some time, yet it took some getting used too.

The guy didn't seem to notice. He just kept leaning over the booth in a way that really couldn’t be comfortable, using his overstretched arms to keep himself upright. The way his biceps flexed under his tight shirt made Bucky think he was kinda doing it especially for that reason.

‘So, having fun at the circus?’ He asked and Bucky scoffed.

‘Circus? I think you meant carnival pall, you're missing a few performers for that.’

The guy put on a horrible fake pout that really shouldn't give Bucky the feelings it did.

‘Awhh, my juggling isn't good enough for ya?’

‘If juggling a few balls makes you a performer, then this is quite a poor circus.’

The guy had taken up his balls again and had started juggling again. He took the eyes momentarily the bean bags to glance at Bucky.

‘Oh, I can do quite a bit more with my hands than juggle some balls.’ He said and added a not so subtle wink. ‘You should really stick around to find out.’ and Bucky was glad that he kinda was prepared for the reaction this guy was having on him because if the guy had winked that way at him five minutes ago there was no way hiding how effective the guys flirting was. Luckily for him, Bucky knew how to play it cool. Kinda.

He plastered a smirk on his face and raised an eyebrow, leaning with one arm on the worn and faded wood of the booth.

‘So that is how you get everybody to pay to play your unwinnable game? By charming them to your stall and then swindle them into giving you money?’

The guy gasped dramatically and grabbed at his chest with one of his hands, keeping the five balls he had been juggling all in the air with just his left hand like it was nothing.

‘What? Me? Everybody knows we circus folk never swindle, we only hustle,.’

‘I'm pretty sure that’s the same thing.’

‘-and besides this came is totally not unwinnable.’ and he deftly caught the balls in his hands and without even turning to look at the pyramid stacked tin cans he tossed the balls behind him. A moment later the clatter of falling cans filled the air as every pyramid collapsed. Each one being perfectly hit by one of the bean bag balls so that no can was left standing.

The guy also didn't turn around to look at the result. He just crossed his arms and rested them on the booth, like Bucky had done with one arm just a second ago, and he smirked smugly too, even going as far to raise an eyebrow.

‘See, totally not impossible.’

Bucky, for his part, was frozen in position. Only the smirk had been replaced by some badly concealed shock. He stared wide-eyed at the targets behind the guy.

‘How-’

‘Bucky!’ and at the urgent tone in Sam’s voice he turned around. Sam wasn't running but he also wasn't walking casually. He was holding Natasha’s purse and made a beeline for Bucky.

‘I've spent ages looking for you man. I swear to god If we don’t get to Steve soon he’s going to spent another night in jail.’

‘What?! How?!’ Bucky asked, but he really didn't need to ask. If one person found a way to make a trip to the carnival violent it was Steve goddamn Rogers.

‘Some reporter kept harassing Tony and you now how Steve gets-’

‘Where were you and Natalie then?’ He asked through grinding teeth. Why could this friend group never do something as simple as go out and keep it simple?

‘I don't know man. We just heard some shouting and she told me to go and find you, because “You'll only make it worse Wilson.”’

‘And she thinks I will make it better?!’

‘Are you coming or not?’

Steve goddamn Rogers. What had he done to deserve such a disaster of a friend?

He turned back to the guy at the booth, who was now frowning a little

‘Do you need some help or…?’ He asked and something deep in his chest fluttered. Too bad that thing was being overruled by the feeling of dread for his best childhood friend.

‘No it’s fine. I just, gotta go. My friend-’

And the guy held up his hands disarmingly, giving him a flash of a small smile.

‘No, no I get it. Go help your boy.’

‘I- yes. I see you-’

The sounds of police sirens interrupted his sentence.

‘Bucky!’ Sam called but Bucky was already marching towards the sound. If he had to bail Steve out of jail again this month he was going to lose it. If that was the case Steve was going to lose something too, maybe a tooth.

‘Be sure to come back if you're done!’ The guy behind the booth called after him.

‘He will!’ Sam shouted for him, and Bucky didn't know if he had to thank him or strangle him.

  
  


-o0o-

The police had been for Steve. Of course it had been. When he arrived he and the reporter were already seated on the back and Tony was in a shouting match with the agent while Natasha almost had to forcibly restrain him from going at the agent too while most guests at the carnival had been watching. In the end it hadn't been Bucky to fix the whole disaster. It had been Sam, something Natasha wasn’t ever going to hear the end of it. Apparently the agent had been a regular to Sam’s VA and after what seemed like hours of talking and pleading the got Steve (and the reporter) off with a warning.

When he saw the angry look on Bucky’s face Steve, the bastard, put on his ‘oh shucks ma'am, I'm so terribly sorry’ face that had half of the US melting at his feet. Not that he meant it. Because a second later he was already defending himself because apparently “ _ They can't just do that Bucky _ !”

Bucky just gave him the finger and stamped off. He loved Steve, he really did, He had followed the guy to war after all. But man if sometimes his eternal quest for righteousness didn't get tiresome. Or, it did get tiresome when it happened while Bucky was busy with something. Or rather, someone.

But when Bucky made his way back to the ball toss booth the blonde guy was gone, replaced by a red-headed guy that looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. No not anywhere, he looked like he rather wanted to be in bed. The haphazardly made sign that had said “Everybody who plays gets a prize!” was replaced by another, more neatly made sign that said ‘Every  child wins a prize!’ with the child part being underlined by sharpie. Like someone still needed reminding.

When he had asked the hungover looking man if he knew where the other guy had gone he had shrugged sluggishly.

‘Hell if I know. Probably climbing something. You wanna pay for a turn or what?’

Bucky didn't. He wanted to find the guy he had talked earlier too. He had promised to come back. Or rather, Sam had. But that didn't matter, right?

So Bucky stalked to grounds some more, checked the other game booths to see if maybe the guy was helping there. Damn, he didn't even know his name. Nowhere did he spot the guy flashing grins to crowd or giving away prizes that weren't really deserved.

He really shouldn't be feeling so sad about it. After all, the two of them had really had one conversation, and of course the twenty minutes before that where Bucky had been staring at him. But he had the feeling that didn't really count.

He didn't find the guy, even after he had casually begun glancing up to check if he spotted a figure climbing one of the attractions. What he did find was crowds, more crowds, and crowds of screaming children who had had too much sugar. Oh, and his friends.

‘There is our personal Terminator! I was starting to get worried Skynet had finally found you.’

‘Wouldn’t that just mean you had found me, Stark?’

‘I'm gonna tell JARVIS you called him Skynet.’

‘I'm terrified.’ Bucky deadpanned and Stark was looking like he was gearing up for another jab when Natasha stepped between them, literally.

‘Children. Hush. One fight a day is enough.’ She nodded her head at one of the food stand with picnic tables placed in front of it. ‘First, we're gonna get something to eat and when we're done it’s probably time for the show to begin so then we're gonna do that.’

Bucky frowned.

‘The show? I thought this wasn't a circus?’

‘At day they do a carnival but in the evening they start their acts in the main tent.’ she clarified.’That’s where my friend usually works too.’ she added after a moment.

‘Well maybe it is a circus, but you can barely call it a show.’ Stark said. ‘I mean one of the acts is archery for Pete’s sake. Watching some guy shoot a few arrows at a target might by just more interesting than watching paint dry. But only just.’

‘Tony.’ Steve said disapprovingly, but the effect was lost by the way he had one of his arms wrapped around the other’s middle.’I'm sure it'll be fun. I mean, if it wasn't they wouldn't put it in a circus show, right?’

Bucky also didn't see how archery would make a circus act. He had seen the Olympics all right, and besides ogling the contestants and admiring their specific physique the sport did little to interest him.

Natasha just smiled knowingly.

-o0o-

They got something to eat and as people joined around them, all talking excitedly about the show, Bucky’s mood eased a bit. He couldn't help himself but to look around and see if he could spot a certain blonde but he had no luck. Maybe he would come back tomorrow to look for him he reassured himself, and a second later he wondered why he would. After all, it was just one conversation, he reminded himself for the second time.

Again, it didn't help.

Maybe Natasha’s friend would know which guy he was talking about? Hell, maybe he would even know where he could find him. That way he could find out if the guy was still as good at flirting when it was dark, maybe he would even get to know what else the guy could with his hands beside juggling.

He harshly bit down on his burger and pointedly starting thinking about other things.

Not everybody needed to be able to see what he had been thinking.

After eating they had some time to wander around the main tent and Steve ended up buying one of those abysmal caramel covered candy apples that even Stark loudly complained about being disgusting, and then he ate half of it anyway.

After their discussion about if fair food could actually be considered food at all they made their way over to the main tent. They sat down nearly at the back of the tribunes

‘Trust me.’ Natasha had said. ‘You don't wanna sit front row when the clowns do their acts.’

And with a flash of light and fireworks, the ringmaster started the show.

Bucky had been wrong. This certainly  _ was _ a circus. It had everything you expected. Acrobats, Aerialists, more acrobats but this time with horses, clowns, a sword swallower, a magician, even a classical strongman made his appearance. He got lost in the show and found himself cheering with the rest the crowd every time another successful stunt landed. He even laughed at one of the clown’s jokes, and found himself glad that they had trusted Natasha and sat at the back. When the show must’ve been nearly done he had almost forgotten about the archer that had still show himself.

‘Ladies, gentlemen and other folks! Tonight at Carson’s Carnival of Traveling wonders you shall see one such wonder you won't find anywhere else. Here for you tonight he will show you amazing feats not known to man before. He is the unstoppable, the impossible, the gravity-defying, the always higher flying, the best sharpshooter known to man. The one, the only, the Amazing Hawkeye!’

and before Bucky could even think that the ringmaster must be exaggerating a horse and rider burst unto the stage. The figure was clothed completely in purple, even his mask and hood were purple, and he was indeed holding a bow. Still seated on the galloping horse he grabbed three arrows from his quiver and after barely taking a moment to aim he fired at one of the targets that had been set up in the ring.

All three arrows hit the bullseye.

The crowd gasped and then cheered. The archer raised his bow as he raced past the tribunes and entrapped by the guy's energy the crowds cheered even louder.

After the first shot the stunts become even more impressive. For a time he stayed on the horse, shooting more and more targets in all kind of positions, then standing on the horse’s back, then sitting on it backwards, then sitting on it normally again but this time shooting at balls thrown up by assistants. After that the horse he climbed the tightrope and continued his amazing feats from there. He even managed to fire a shot while he was hanging from a trapeze. He jumped, he flipped, he somersaulted. But whatever kind of stunt or trick this guy did he never missed. His act ended when he shot a heavy made arrow straight up in the air. Then he let himself fall backwards in the sand and did not move even when the arrow went hurtling down backwards, seemingly aimed right at the archer’s heart. The crowd gasped again and even Bucky bit his lip as he stared wide-eyed at the figure laying still unmoving in the sand. But of course he shouldn't have been worried. At the last possible moment the guy’s hand shot out and he caught the arrow, which was only inches away from his chest.

The crowd let up a thunderous applause and cheered as the guy stood up and bowed. He waved at the crowd before disappearing backstage.

For a moment nobody in their little group spoke.

‘Well.’ Tony said. ‘I guess I was wrong about the archery then.’

And if Stark was the one admitting he was wrong that really meant something. But of course, he hadn't been the only one wrong.

The show concluded with a bow by all the artists and Bucky couldn't help but follow the purple blur through the crowd. Maybe he should go more often at places like the fair, if these were the kind of people that seemingly roamed around them. He was quite sure he would not forget the purple archer for quite some time.

-o0o-

They kept hanging around the main tent after the show on account that Natasha had to find her friend.

‘I'll call you when I find him. You’ll like him.” She promised before wandering of. It only took two seconds before Steve and Tony started to make googly eyes at each other and to be honest, he had seen quite enough of that. Deciding he could make better use of his time he stood up and made his way towards the main tent. Sam joined him. Bucky couldn't really blame him, but as soon as Sam started talking he kinda started wishing he was doing his search alone.

‘Soo..’ Sam started. ‘Did ya find your guy?’

‘No.’

‘So now you're looking for him.’

‘Yes.’

‘He was blonde and kinda tall right?’

‘Yes.’

‘You like him?’

‘We had one conversation.’

Sam shrugged.

‘Doesn't mean you can't like him.’

Bucky didn't answer that. They kinda kept wandering around and scanning the crowd of workers and performers still half in their grime but again, nowhere did he spot a tall blonde guy. Or at least, the right tall blonde guy. That was until they heard Natasha’s voice.

‘..-ney would've left long ago if he didn't worry about you, Clint.’

‘But you can't just give away an apartment!’

And with a start Bucky realised he recognised that voice. He hastened his step and rounded the corner and-

It was the archer. Natasha was having a discussion with the archer. He was still wearing his purple outfit, but this time his face was uncovered. If he hadn’t recognized the voice he would certainly recognise those freckles.

The archer was the guy from the booth, the guy from the booth was Natasha’s friend and Natasha’s friend had been the archer.

How in the world-

‘Hey, It’s tall, dark and handsome!’ The guy, archer, Clint? said and his face, still red and kinda puffy from the exertions of his performance, broke open in a smile in an almost blindingly bright grin.

‘I was wondering if I would see you around.’

Bucky couldn't help but smile back. He nodded at the guy’s bow.

‘Now I know what you meant by saying you could do more with your hands than juggle.’

‘Oh, you mean the archery?’ and something sparked in the blonde's eyes and his grin turned a little more devious. ‘Yeah, when I said that I really wasn't talking about the archery.’

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! You're the best!!  
If you'd like, leave a comment or a kudo and I swear you'll make my week. It honestly is a better motivator than my early morning coffee.
> 
> Y'all are amazing <3 see ya at the next round!


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